"Randhir?" Sanyukta spoke out as she put step in the balcony.

He don't respond rather he hides something in the plant pot suddenly.

"Enough of it" Sanyukta snaps at him.

"Enough of what?" Randhir shrugged it off as if nothing happened few seconds ago.

"You broke your promise.You had promised me to stop smoking and just now you hid a cigarette bud in that plant pot" Sanyukta folded her arms.

"Stop controlling me" Randhir replied not meeting her eyes.

"Is that carbon sh*t more important than me?" Sanyukta confronted.

"Yes it is ,now make something for me.I am hungry" Randhir spoke balantly.

"You just had your smokey dinner" Sanyukta taunted.

"Shut your mouth.I am no mood for your ranting" Randhir snapped at her igniting another cigarette.

Smoke puffed up in the thin air from cigarette reached her nostrils making her feel nauseous or may be his indifference towards her felt choking.

Sanyukta sat down on the bed.She looked up to the wall clock which showed 2 in the morning.

A sigh escaped her lips,she looked at the other empty side of the bed.Slowly she traced the empty pillow with her fingers.She sniffed his pillow to get his fragrance in her system.

The blurry salty drops threatened to leave the rim of her hazel eyes.This time she let the dams of her eyes free and hugging her the pillow she slept imagining herself cuddling Randhir.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
She wakes up with motion in the room to see Randhir smoking another cigarette.

"Enough! Randhir stop smoking" Sanyukta exclaimed sitting up.

"What's your problem huh?" Randhir spoke irritated.

"Your smoking is my problem.You are not even realizing that you smoke more than 30 cigarettes a day" Sanyukta snapped.

"So what it's my money,my body and my choice stop mothering me!" Randhir shrieked.

"Shut up!" Sanyukta exclaimed throwing a pillow at his face.

"Sanyukta F*ck up" Randhir jerked her up angrily leaving marks on her arm.

'What the hell is wrong with you?" Sanyukta spoke out teary-eyed.

"You are the problem.Stop bothering my peace" Randhir replied

"Your peace is smoking?Due you even realize how you are harming yourself and why are you shifting the blame on me!" Sanyukta shot back.

"Everyone has a way to find relaxation if smoking is my way out then it is none of your business. Secondly you are responsible for all the stress I have. You have become so extravagant" Randhir yelled back.

"Expense? Extravagant? Excuse me where is this coming from" Sanyukta spoke out keeping hands on her hip,her eyes ready to burn anything in its vision.

"Your stupid shopping!You have plenty of clothing still every weekend you go on shopping.You stupid kitty parties on Sunday spoil my entire Sunday. Your senseless shopping of gold on every stupid occasion has exhausted my pocket.F*ck after working for so long I have no savings because of you. I could have enjoyed my life with that extra savings but no you just know how to cash me for your needs.Bloody Selfish woman" Randhir thundered.

Sanyukta looked at him at horror and shock with a mixture of disbelief.

"Don't you have to say anything in defense of yourself?" Randhir smirked as he thought he won this heated battle.

"Those kitty parties are from my own money. Yes I shop clothes and jewelry from your money. I am your wife,I have my rights on your money too" Sanyukta blurted out,hurt reflecting in her eyes.

"If I knew how selfish you are, I wouldn't have married you" Randhir spoke out.

"Same goes for you,I never knew you were so selfish and a miser too" Sanyukta pointed out.

"There is no point in talking,you are so stubborn. Just get lost from my sight" He shouted.

"F*ck off from this my room.Better f*ck yourself somewhere else!" Sanyukta refused to go out.

"I am warning you. Don't test my patience and anger.You will regret it" Randhir gritted his teeth.

"Oh....mcp did I hurt your trash ego? Show me if you have guts" Sanyukta replied with equal aggressive body language.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Randhir lost his left over cool,his eyes blood shot red in anger,vein popping up on his right temple of head.

Sanyukta shuddered as she thought have provoked and rubbed him the wrong way.A shivered ran down her spine as he lit a cigarette looking straight in her eye.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"No...no stop it" Sanyukta cried while Randhir continued the torture with his eyes blank and enjoyed feeding sadistic pleasure to his ego.

"Please I beg you stop it" She pleaded as she felt jolts of pain hitting her arms.

He stopped for a while.She ran to the safety. The big bungalow suddenly became a prison for her. The paramount hallway looked like a never ending path as she ran towards guest room.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
She washed her tear ridden face.Her eyes red and swallowen with crying.The hiccups and uneven breathing made her difficult to respire.

She looked into the mirror. Her eyes fell on her arms, circular burned marks of cigarette made her heart churn and bile rose in her stomach.

The man she loved,broke her into several peices tonight.

She puked into bowel of commode as the bile made her nauseous. She felt an urge to burn everything including herself and Randhir in flames.

The fear soon replaced anger,hatred and dismay making a pith in her stomach.

"I don't deserve this hell" Sanyukta spoke out to herself to calm her nerves.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Randhir Singh Shekhawat,I thought you were just a jerk whom I changed with my love.I was so wrong,you are worse than a jerk. I married an impotent,you are not a man" Sanyukta spoke out furiously.

His jaw tightened,the rage which seemed settling in his skull again rose high.

"I will show you what kind of a man I am" Randhir spoke out his eyes dangerously looking for its prey.

He latched the door,removed his shirt and pants. He threw her on the bed.

Her heart beated in her chest like drum ready to explode.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Randhir woke up next day with a severe headache. He eyes bulged at what he saw.

Sanyukta laid next to him bruised and naked. Her pale bruised torso,lips bleeding, arms burnt with cigarette buds and her lifeless body freaked him out.

"Sanyukta!" Randhir cried out.

He tried to recollect last night in his brain.He remembered burning her,beating her and tearing her clothes apart,what happened next he couldn't register.

"F*ck what the hell did I do!" He smacked his head in regret with his hand.

"Sanyukta wake up" He cried like a toddler.

He covered her naked body and sprinkled drops of water to wake her up.

As she opened her eyes,he melted with shame, regret and agony.His voice got trapped in his vocal cords, a thorny lump pricked his throat,his mouth went dry and sweat covered his entire body.

"Water" She mumbled.

He gave her water to drink with shaky hands.

"After my wounds heal,drop me to my home" She spoke out after few minutes of killing silence.

"I am sorry" he dared to stuttered not meeting her eyes and looking away from her bruised body.

"Your bloody sorry won't amend what I lost last night.You broke me in every possible way" Sanyukta spoke out in mere whisper.

"Sanyukta punish me, hurt me ,hand me to the police for my sin but please give me a damn verdict" Randhir wept.

"Randhir Singh Shekhawat,I am filing divorce" Sanyukta replied.

He didn't say anything,he saw this coming. His soul felt scared but his mind cursed himself internally.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
6 months later...
"Are you sure that you two want to divorce?" The judge spoke feeling pitty for a young well educated bright couple.

"I am done,I had enough of Toxicity" Sanyukta replied.

Randhir stood quietly, his heart stammered in chest,something invisible broke inside him.The fear of losing her made him vulnerable to even speak words.The guilt ,regret and shame made his head bowed.

"Do you want to say anything Mr.Shekhawat?" The Judge questioned.

"I won't divorce her,it's my fault I accept it and feel shame for what I did" Randhir replied not meeting anyone's eye except Sanyukta.

"I am giving 3 months to both of you to rethink about it" The judge ordered.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Love is beautiful but when it soars it becomes toxic. Just like the spark it ignites when two people fall in love,a fire also burns the heart when two people fall apart in love.

"Sanyukta we need to talk" Randhir stopped her.

"Randhir let me go,my shift is over" Sanyukta said annoyed.

"You won't leave until I allow,I am your boss and hus.." Randhir spoke out.

"You are just my boss nothing else" Sanyukta pointed out.

Randhir quickly closed his cabin blocking her way.

"Randhir leave my way!" Sanyukta exclaimed.

"No,first listen to me" Randhir replied.

She tried to push him away from her path,both tangled themselves with each other like two angry horn knocking bulls ready to kill each other.

He pressed his lips against hers,her back strike the metallic door behind. He intensified his kiss. She pushed him off,"I am not falling in any of your traps ever!" Sanyukta shrieked slapping him hard.

"Sanyukta you can't break 6 years of togetherness.I know what did was horrible.I don't know seriously what happened with me,I felt like a fuse in my brain exploded triggering more anger that I could hand" Randhir explained.

"4 years of dating and 2 years of marriage made me blind,I couldn't see beyond that facade that you wore every day.That night opened my eyes" Sanyukta replied out angrily.

"I want to tell you that I love you just give me one last chance" Randhir uttered.

"One last chance to assault,thank God I smashed the ceramic flower vase on your head otherwise you could have raped me" She broke down.

"I didn't rape you...what exactly happened then?" Randhir spoke out confused.

"What happened! You burnt me with cigarette,beat me like a gunny bag and tore my clothes mercilessly that isn't enough for you. You wanted to rape me,in my self defence I hit you with the vase and I too fell unconscious because of all the torture you did to me" Sanyukta cried fisting punches on his rock solid chest.

"Just one more chance,I will change myself,I will be the best version of myself.Forgive me once for sake of that love which bloomed our lives" Randhir begged on his knees.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"He was not himself that night" Sanyukta spoke to a woman worriedly.

"Does he have some addiction alcohol or smoking?" The white coat clad woman spoke scribbling in her note pad.

"No he is not addicted to alcohol but yeah he has gotten into addiction to smoking, why is this relevant here doctor?" Sanyukta asked.

"People who get angry easily may be more likely to become addicted to smoking, according to a new study. Nicotine causes dramatic bursts of activity in certain brain areas, but only in people prone to anger and aggression" Doctor spoke out.

"What do you mean?" Sanyukta questioned perplexed.

"Your husband is having extreme Anger issues due to excessive smoking" the doctor replied.

"What? What ever he did was out of..." Sanyukta stuttered.

"Out of an anger fit" the doctor completed Sanyukta's sentence.

"How can I save my husband and how can I get his previous version back?" Sanyukta spoke out scared.

"Get him out of this addiction" The doctor quipped.

"Okay I will" Sanyukta replied.

"Be careful with withdrawal symptoms since he is too addicted therefore he will get strong withdrawal symptoms.It won't be easy for him as well as you" the doctor informed.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Randhir dinner is ready,come on eat it fast before it gets cold" Sanyukta spoke out holding his palm.

"Sanyukta,I don't feel any appetite for eating,just let me smoke for once. I haven't smoken since last 24 hours,I beg you" Randhir pleaded helplessly.

Sanyukta felt a pang on a heart to see Randhir so vulnerable and helpless.

"Randhir...I know it's tough for you but you have to do it for yourself and for us" Sanyukta spoke out softly.

"Sanyukta,Don't you get I don't feel hungry!" Randhir exclaimed losing his temper.

"It's good for you to leave smoking" Sanyukta spoke out calmly.

"What the hell! Stop preaching,I don't feel hungry, I can't sleep and focus. My digestion is completely off" Randhir exclaimed throwing away the plate.

Sanyukta understood his anger,irritability and mood swings due to withdrawal symptoms caused by lack of smoking.

She quickly picked up the peices of broken bone china. "Broken peices of plate are better than broken parts
of heart. We both have to go through this dark tunnel together" Sanyukta thought to herself.

Randhir ignited a cigarette he had hidden under the bed mattress. Sanyukta saw him sneaking cigarette,her heart fell instant disdain.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Randhir...ah I hurt myself" Sanyukta yelped.

"How the ...Sanyukta how did you cut your finger!How can you be so careless" Randhir exclaimed freaking out.

"It her major artery,we need to tranfuse blood.She is bleeding excessively" the compounder of hospital spoke before the doctor could give his opinion.

"We share same blood group" Randhir suggested quickly.

"I don't think so that you would be a good donor" the nurse concluded seeing the cigarette packet in his shirt's pocket.

"But why can't I!" Randhir erupted losing his mind.

"Because you smoke,if you smoke excessive then you won't be a good blood donor for your wife.Your toxic blood might harm her instead of helping" the emergency ward doctor explained patiently.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A moment of realization hit Randhir like a thunderbolt or like an epiphany,"Due to my ruckless smoking not I can't even help Sanyu,I am useless to everyone around.F*ck smoking if it forbids me from helping my wife".

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Sanyukta drink it" Randhir beamed next morning with a glass of freshly poured orange juice.

"Randhir...I am alright. No need to pamper me it's something grave that occurred to me" Sanyukta stated.

"Every drop of blood you lost mattered.I felt so helpless,I couldn't give you even a drop of my blood.I vowed on wedding to always protect but I instead assaulted you and didn't help you when you needed me the most.I am so sorry...I broke your trust on our love. Forgive if you can but I don't deserve your forgiveness" Randhir's brown orbs turned into moist marbles reflecting the chocolate shades of his eyes.

"I thought to give you on you and our marriage.I felt like I lost you somewhere in the smoke of those carbon sh*t but I didn't knew the stress you were taking to give the life I am living. I never knew that you were missing Sundays with me. I am at fault too ,because I overhauled my expenses. You are not a robot to work hard and get no love.I became too judgemental when I saw you smoking ,instead of seeking why you needed smoking when I could be your stress reliever I taunted you . Even if Loving you is a losing game, I will play it until it's game over by death" Sanyukta spoke out emotionally.

"I love you so much,even after so much trauma you are still by my side. You were always with me in thick and thin.Even when I treated you like trash and when loving me was a losing game,you chose your anger lose to the love that resides in your heart for me.I am the luckiest husband to find a wife,friend, colleague, girlfriend, soulmate in you,Sanyukta Aggarwal you are one of kind ,he kissed her lips.

"We don't want divorce" Sandhir spoke in unison to the judge.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He ran his fingers on her bare back exposing of her saree blouse.

"What letter it is?" Randhir made an R on her back.

"R for Randhir" Sanyukta giggled.

"One more" she asked for.

He slided his fingers smooth on her soft skin.

"S for Sanyukta" She whispered in his ears.

"Hey,I can scratch my back a bit lower" Sanyukta spoke pressing her lips to hide her smile.

"It's OK?" Randhir asked.

"No still itchy.Remove my fabric from there and then scratch nicely" Sanyukta suggested.

He did as she said,his mouth fell agar,he placed his finger on that spot,tears filled his eyes.

He slowly kissed that spot softly making her shudder in pleasure and anticipation.

"Did it hurt you?" Randhir asked concerned.

"No,not that much.By the way tell me do you like it?" Sanyukta spoke out with anticipation.

"I love it...it's incredible.I love how you got inked SANDHIR on your back.It's like you inscribed our whole lovestory in just one word merging not only are names but your feelings and identities together" Randhir replied looking at the tattoo lovingly.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"You deserve something for this amazing tattoo" Randhir smirked.

He removed her blouse putting a trail of soft kisses on her back and blossoms.

"You too deserve something" She spoke leaning closer to his chest.

She removed his t shirt,a naughty smirk appeared on her.

She kissed his abs,he grabbed her waist tightly.

She looked to his eyes,"I love you" she spoke out slyly.She placed her finger on the tip of his lips lustfully.

She suddenly placed her arms around his waist not leaving his eyes even for a second.

She then did the unexpected.She started tickling his belly.

"Sanyukta...Sanyukta stop" Randhir laughed like a maniac.

He too tickled her ,both bodies mingled with each other.Her lavender fragrance mixed with his minty musky cologne.

Sparks flew like just the college days of dating. His eyes roamed over body, she looked over his perfectly crafted torso.

He kissed her nape leaving a mark there. Within a few minutes the friction of their bodies evaporated as their natural lubricants mingled with each other.

Their body temperatures rose and two hearts raced in sync with each other.He joined himself to her like fitting a piece of puzzle in a jigsaw.
She cried silently.

"What happened? Did I hurt you tell me ? Do need any help?I am so sorry wifey" Randhir apologized several times.

"Silly, these are happy tears" She hugged Randhir.